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Job seekers attend spring fair at the Rec Long Island, Nassau County and Suffolk, as far as the most high in-demand jobs,” he said. The Town of Hempstead’s “A lot of it’s healthcare, manubiannual job fair returned to facturing, the trades, constructhe Freeport Recreation Center tion, so we try to offer a variety on April 10, drawing more than of industries here so everyone’s looking for something dif2,500 job seekers ferent.” and 80 employers to For Matt Ber none of the region’s stein, 23, of Valley largest hiring Stream, the event events. came at the perfect Hosted by Hemptime. steadWorks — the “I studied busitown’s workforce ness, cur rently development proworking in social gram — the event, settings with people welcomed veterans with disabilities a n d i n d iv i d u a l s and also children,” with disabilities he said. “If there’s starting at 9:30 a.m., a position where I before opening to could combine my the general public MAtt BeRNsteIN management skills at 10 a.m., accord- job seeker that I lear ned in ing to the job fair’s college while workorganizers. A steady stream of attendees ing with people of that populaflowed through the doors tion, that would be the perfect throughout the day, many eager kind of blend.” Bernstein, who spoke with for face time with recruiters a f t e r m o n t h s o f ap p ly i n g representatives from The Center for Developmental Disabilionline. Kurt Rockensies, deputy ties and QSAC, or Quality Services for Autism Community, commissioner of the Town of Hempstead, noted that the fair said they “have exactly what attracted representatives from I’m looking for.” The cur rent job market nearly every industry. “We try to look at the data on Continued on page 10
By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ
mrafiq@liherald.com
I
Courtesy Long Island Cares
Stony Brook university student Raina Joseph manages intake forms and client records as part of her internship at the Freeport pantry.
In Freeport, volunteers make food security personal By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
At the Long Island Cares food pantry in Freeport, volunteers are essential. They greet clients, organize food, help with paperwork and keep the pantry functioning as federal food programs face cuts and the community need remains high. April is National Volunteer Month, when recognizing their contributions is more important than ever. Reyna Felix, the program coordinator at the pantry, said that the facility can’t function without volunteers. “Nothing would be possible without them,” she said. “My volun-
teers are my eyes inside the pantry. And when I find that, it’s like I can be focused on doing my job, and I know for sure that the pantry is in a good hands. “Franklin, Roseanne and now my intern, Raina,” Felix added. “They’ve been such a blessing for the pantry because they always learn so fast, the process, and they also improve every day. They give me ideas. They suggest anything, any change, anything that we need to update.” Raina Joseph, a Baldwin resident and a Stony Brook University student on the prenursing track, said she found out about the pantry through a school email listing volunContinued on page 7
t’s tough, but you have to keep trying, and you gotta keep looking for what’s right for you.